Once upon a time…and that was all. Most people usually don’t get married planning to divorce soon after, but much research suggests so much of what people do before they wed sadly leads them to the destructive place of divorce.

How to avoid a miserable marriage before it begins? Gee, what an uplifting topic huh?! But it sure is realistic, and can happen to you if you don’t think things through and integrate the right attitude adjustments and mental/emotional shifts into your days leading up to your BIG one.

The timeframe before the wedding can be a crucial turning point, as the whole wedding planning process can be rather stressful. Part of the reason might be that, as a culture, women are often more captivated and infatuated with the wedding than the actual marriage! So this means an excess amount of energy, time, and resources get poured into a wedding, ensuring the best possible outcome for a Wedding Day. Get with the program ladies…a magical day is something we all dream of…but let’s not overdo anything or overcompensate for something we’re not receiving in the relationship itself perhaps? A magical relationship over an over-the-top wedding is much more preferable and soulful.

Instead of revving up your bank account and drowning resources out just to make funds for your elaborate wedding expenses, really think about what is most important and what you can do without. You don’t want money problems resulting from an extravagant wedding to be the reason you‘re relationship is failing…and the resulting woes that come from it all can make a marriage miserable (especially if you’re one of those couples that places such value on finances and/or known to rack up credit card expenses!). This can probably be the most disgraceful way to end a relationship based on these causes. Know who you are, who you are marrying, and find a balance in between to avoid debt…and more importantly, disappointments.

Sweating the small stuff? So he forgot to fix the broken faucet while you were at your bridal gown consultation….Big deal?! It doesn’t mean anything more than what it does at face value…he forgot. Cut him some slack. Step back from your stressed out, overwhelmed state and think of the important things in life…love being # 1. Do you really want to pick a fight over something so trivial…and not to mention, so mundane?